Goldhill
Population: 3,200 (100% Human) Government: Monarchy Religions: All Imports: Exports: Salt Alignment: All Life and Society Goldhill is the most metropolitan city in Hibari, and possibly on all of Gaiten. With the presence of the monarchy in the city, it is well guarded, and has had a lot of money pumped into it over the years. This has resulted in cobblestone paved streets, buildings that are repaired, as opposed to allowed to fall into disarray, and so on. The residents of Goldhill are known for their interest in material wealth, and other things to show off their ability to buy things. The city’s main streets are constantly busy with merchants hawking their goods, and individuals meandering around looking at their wares. Because of the relative safety of Goldhill, many residents are fairly happy-go-lucky, and are oblivious to the concept that bad can happen to their city. Most have an unconditional support towards the monarchy. Major Organizations House Durrol House Durrol is the ruling noble house of Hibari. The patriarch of House Durrol, Glendes Durrol, is the king of Hibari, who rules from the Golden Palace. Major Geographical Features Goldhill is situated in northern Hibari, on the cliffside of the nation’s northernmost point. The city is often fairly windy because of this fact. Residents can literally walk up to the city’s edge, though guards do not let individuals jump down the cliffside, which drops hundreds of feet down to the crashing waves of the shore below. Important Sites Golden Palace The Golden Palace is the home of the King of Hibari. The castle is the tallest structure in Goldhill, with its tallest turret reaching nearly four stories into the air. Because it is built at the top of a hill, it appears even taller and larger than it actually is. Atop the tallest turret is a light, known as ‘The Golden Light’, which serves as a lighthouse, and gives the structure its name. Brendelwood Manor Brendelwood Manor, named for the man who first owned the property, Barius Brendelwood, is a highly renowned Bardic conservatory, that teaches, among other forms and styles, the rare “Sing Song Magic” that many of the indigenous people of the Island Nations once practiced. Brendelwood Manor is a very famous Bardic conservatory, and individuals from all over the world pay to attend. Regional History Goldhill was formally founded in the years 810-814, when Carth Durrol landed on Gaiten. The area was selected as the site for a fortification because of its location, but when the island was fully under control of Durrol, he elected to make the site his permanent home, and center of power. Over the next few decades, Goldhill would turn from a fort into a small town with a small, makeshift port into a modest port town. The natives and settlers peacefully cohabitated and intermingled, allowing Goldhill to enjoy an uninterrupted period of growth. After Larinda Durrol, who became queen, discovered the plot to assassinate her, and seized numerous private mercantile ventures, Goldhill entered into a period of stagnation. Fewer traders and merchants came into the city, and as a result, less money was being injected into the local economy. Were it not for the discovery of various stones beneath the island’s surface, and the subsequent establishment of Southquarry, Goldhill could have fallen into a depression. Stimulated once more, the city of Goldhill continued to thrive. When the East Hibari Trade Council declared the independence of eastern Hibari from the Durrol monarchy, Goldhill was the only city on the island to remain loyal to the crown. The people of Goldhill stayed safe during the conflict, as the forces of East Hibari never once marched into territory anywhere near Goldhill. After the civil war, Goldhill returned to “business as usual”. Years later, the monarch of Hibari would loosen the restrictions on business, causing Goldhill to prosper even more than it had previously.